香港社會企業正在賦予香港的特殊學障青年群體,善用資訊科技改寫人生的機遇 -《南華早報》(2020年8月7日) – 繁體中文翻譯版

「親子Online共融電視台」FamilyOnline.TV為有特殊需要的(SEN)年輕人,提供資訊科技應用培訓,讓他們成為網絡作家、動畫師及App製作人;他們的工作,使他們獲得了2020年香港精神獎的提名。

FamilyOnline.TV團隊成員於2019年出席於香港生產力局舉行的訓練課程。照片:由受訪者提供

他們10年來也沒有一個固定的工作場所;但是,這一家香港IT社企,善用筆記本型電腦與流動寬頻的便利性,令才華橫溢的SEN年青人能夠在任何地方登入網絡工作,為世界各地的用戶製作動畫和開發教育工具。

這群精通資訊科技及多媒體技術的SEN年輕人,年齡介乎於15至25歲之間;根據各自的天賦與才能,以線上線下的模式接受FamilyOnline.TV團隊的長期培訓,務實而智慧地因材施教,目標是幫助香港的SEN年輕人釋放自己的創造力,超越自己的極限。

Tiffany Chan於2012年與丈夫Michael Sze共同創立了FamilyOnline.TV這IT社企項目;團隊主要致力於支援患有身體殘疾或身心障礙的年輕人。

Tiffany的團隊相信,許多有特殊教育需要的年輕人經常被社區忽視,掌握資訊科技及通信技術(ICT)和媒體製作技能,可以幫助他們證明自己的價值。

患有聽障的輪椅使用者Tiffany,理解許多育有特殊需要孩子家庭所面臨的困難。 “我們希望,竭盡所能為有特殊需要的社區做些事情” 她說。

FamilyOnline.TV透過iCare基金會提供「職前訓練」與「在職培訓」,鼓勵香港15至25歲SEN青少年人規劃自己的未來。

“我們的年青同事,陸續也會學習面對自己獨立生活,例如最基本可以開始支付自己的電腦及寬頻網絡費用” Tiffany說。

FamilyOnline.TV團隊希望,讓有特殊需要的年輕人,以及他們周圍的人,如他們的家庭,每一天可以生活得更有盼望。

FamilyOnline.TV團隊成員獲得2019年香港資訊及通訊科技獎(HKICT Award) – 智慧市民年度大獎。照片:由受訪者提供

他們的工作團隊獲得了今年香港精神獎的提名;這項由《南華早報》和地產發展商《信和集團》聯合主辦的年度活動,旨在表揚那些努力不懈但未被公眾關注的人的成就。

Tiffany的朋友Thomas Lau提名FamilyOnline.TV團隊參加今年的「團隊合作精神」獎,該獎項旨在表彰那些對社會有貢獻的無名小團體。

Tiffany的IT社企已經建立了可持續發展的商業模式;她補充說,現時團隊需要常常在沒有固定辦公室的情況下,為SEN年青人進行培訓和工作管理,並在香港高成本的營商環境下,保持競爭力。

她說:「我一年到晚都要帶領一群SEN年輕人,從社區中尋找可供租用而且價格低廉的場地,進行培訓。」。

FamilyOnline.TV的學員可以透過長期的「在職培訓」,學習成為網絡作家、動畫師及App製作人。

多年來,IT社企經已培訓了2,000名有特殊教育需要的年青人。SEN團隊更合力創作了 430 個益智App及遊戲,傳達積極正面的價值觀;App已達至221 個國家和地區,超過450萬次下載量。

Tiffany的丈夫,兼聯合創始人Michael分享道,SEN年青人往往缺乏自信,每一個App下載量對他們都很重要。

他說:「當看到有人在世界各地,甚至遠在非洲也有人下載他們的App,會讓SEN年青人感到很有成就感。」

他們夫婦表示,團隊在2019年榮獲香港資訊及通信科技獎的「智慧市民大獎」將賦予他們訓練的SEN同事有一份社會認同感;讓他們團隊的努力繼往開來,薪火相傳。

《南華早報》(2020年8月7日) 報導原文: https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3096302/hong-kong-social-enterprise-empowering-overlooked-one-app

以下為英文版的原文內容:


 

A Hong Kong social enterprise is empowering the overlooked, one app at a time – South China Morning Post (7 Aug 2020)

  • FamilyOnline.TV is giving young people with special needs the tools required to become successful writers, animators, producers and artists
  • Their work has earned them a nomination for this year’s Spirit of Hong Kong Awards
FamilyOnline.TV team members attend a training session at the Hong Kong Productivity Council in 2019. Photo: Handout

They may not have a regular workplace, but, armed with laptops, talented young participants in a social enterprise in Hong Kong are able to work from anywhere, creating animations and developing edutainment tools for users worldwide.

These tech-savvy youths, aged between 15 and 25, are groomed in accordance with their aptitude by the FamilyOnline.TV team, who want to help them unleash their creative streak and transcend their own limits.

Tiffany Chan Wai-fun, who founded the social enterprise with her husband, Michael Sze Tak-lee, in 2012, said her team aimed primarily to support young people living with physical disabilities or developmental disorders.

She said her team believed many young people with special education needs were overlooked by the community, and that the mastery of information and communications technology (ICT) and media production skills could help them prove their worth.

Chan, who uses a wheelchair, said she understood the difficulties faced by many families with special needs children.
“We want to do something for the special needs community,” she said.

Through the provision of pre-employment and on-the-job training, FamilyOnline.TV, established under the iCare Foundation, encourages attendees to plan for their own future.

“[Our young colleagues] may soon start thinking about living independently and about paying their own broadband bills,” she said.

Chan said her team found it important to make youths with special needs – and those around them, such as their families – more hopeful.

FamilyOnline.TV team members attend the 2019 HKICT Smart People Grand Award Ceremony. Photo: Handout

Their work has earned the team a nomination for this year’s Spirit of Hong Kong Awards.

The annual event, co-organised by The South China Morning Post and the property developer Sino Group, celebrates the achievements of people whose endeavours may not come to public notice.

Thomas Lau, a friend of Chan’s, recommended the FamilyOnline.TV team for this year’s Spirit of Teamwork award, which recognises unsung groups that embrace their roles as socially responsible corporate citizens.

Chan said she believed her social enterprise had built a sustainable business model, adding that it stayed competitive in this high cost environment by managing without a fixed office.

“Every day I lead a group of young people hopping from community centre to cheap venue-for-hire to do the training,” she said.

A participant in FamilyOnline.TV training sessions may learn to be a writer, animator, producer and artist.

Over the years, the social enterprise has trained 2,000 young people with special education needs. It has created 430 edutainment mobile apps and video games that convey moral values, generating more than 4.5 million downloads from 221 countries and territories.

Sze, Chan’s husband and co-founder, said every download counted to their young colleagues, who often lacked self-confidence.

“Seeing someone download their creations from places as far away as Africa would make them feel successful,” he said.

The couple said their team, which won the Hong Kong ICT “Smart People Grand Award” in 2019, would empower their trained colleagues to keep up their endeavours and pass on their skills.

Source: South China Morning Post
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3096302/hong-kong-social-enterprise-empowering-overlooked-one-app